


dichotomies and vases

by aeltaiir



Series: gloxinias and dichotomies [2]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Flowers, Gen, Identity Reveal, Language of Flowers, M/M, Secret Identity, Teen Peter Parker, he cares he really does, matt tolerates peter, more like peter works at one part time, or at least he says so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeltaiir/pseuds/aeltaiir
Summary: It’s a little weird, Matt has to admit, and he does doubt himself somewhat. For one, Peter is sweet and bubbly. Spider-Man? Spider-Man is that as well. But also not. Matt has seen him pick up men twice his size before. Matt has seen him bring people to the brink of death with little to no remorse. Matt has seen him use all he has got in order to take down criminals.And yet, he is almost certain they are the same person.But they also have an agreement, Matt thinks to himself. And he won’t be the one to break it.---Matt is tired and Spider-Man won't let him brood in peace. Foggy likes the flowers he's been getting him from that nice store, even if Peter does tend to overexplain. Matt thinks Spider-Man needs more sleep.
Relationships: Matt Murdock/Franklin "Foggy" Nelson
Series: gloxinias and dichotomies [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838455
Comments: 12
Kudos: 194





	dichotomies and vases

**Author's Note:**

> Matt's view of gloxinias and retail, the first work in this series. was written with the other fic in mind so I would suggest reading it first.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters nor the universe and ideas and I make no money off of this.

Foggy and Matt are finally going on that date. Between the lawyer-ing and the vigilante-ing the last time they actually went out together was. Well. It was a long time ago.

Matt promised Foggy flowers to make up for it and, while Foggy told him it was fine, Matt was a man of his word and also slightly a romantic, unfortunately, according to Foggy, so. Flowers it was.

Foggy gratefully didn’t ask how he was going to get them because Foggy is nice like that but Matt knew he was thinking it.

Regardless, Matt was a man on a mission now so he was going to get some flowers.

It’s a nice shop, Matt muses, standing outside. Quiet and not crowded, according to heartbeats there’s only one person inside. The floral scents aren’t that bad either, a little strong at first but he can get used to it, he thinks as he pushes the door open, only wincing a little at the high pitched tinkle of the bell.

“Welcome, I’ll be there in two seconds,” someone, sounding younger, shouts from the back. “Sorry about that, what can I get for you?” the voice asks as they come back to the front, taking a step behind the counter Matt is in front of and ah, yeah, there it is. Matt can hear the exact moment when he realizes.

“I’m looking to get a bouquet?” Is that the right word? What else do you call a bunch of flowers? He’s versed in the law, not botany.

“Sure, what’s the occasion?”

“Date,”

The kid nods and Matt tries to hide his smile as he says “okay,” a few seconds later.

The kid seems to pause and so does Matt because what now. Hm. Maybe he should have dragged someone alone with him.

“Any idea of what you want?”

LIke, color-wise? Red is classic, isn’t it? He’s pretty sure it is.

“Uh, something romantic?” he hedges with a wince because this must not be easiest for the kid. What is he, like fifteen? “I wanna get something meaningful,” he offers because Matt does know what it’s like to have to deal with customers and he can’t really help more than that but hey, maybe it’s a start?

“Okay, well you can always go with their meanings,” the kid suggests after a pause, sounding kinda excited.

“Meanings?”

Apparently flowers have a language. Huh. Who knew. That could work though. Foggy would probably find it sweet and it lets Matt avoid having to pick based on aesthetic values. The kid is still rambling when Matt nods.

“That sounds good,” he tried with a smile because this kid really likes flowers, huh. He can practically feel his happiness as the kid runs off to get the catalogue, turning page by page and explaining the names and meanings of each, telling Matt to stop him if any sound good.

“What’s that one mean?” Matt asks when the kid got to one that he kinda skipped over it seemed. Gloxinias was it?

“Uh, love at first sight,”

Wonderful. Foggy would get a kick out of those.

“How about some of those?” Matt suggests, only barely hiding his smirk.

\---

Foggy did indeed laugh at the flowers, even if they were the only ones that Matt remembered the meaning of.

“Flower kid said they meant love and stuff?” he tried as Foggy chuckles.

“Well, at least you remembered the important one,” and Matt smiles.

\---

Spider-Man won’t leave him alone. 

Matt doesn’t necessarily want him to, but really. He won’t leave Matt alone.

Normally, the spider would tend nearer to Queens, which was all good and well for Matt. The first night he came swinging into the Kitchen Matt nearly killed him.

By accident. Well, mostly, Now, Matt is pretty sure the guy can’t be killed anyway so it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. The interrogation wasn’t on accident though.

After that first incident, he stuck to just growling at him instead.

By now, he’s resigned himself to just have a. What is he? Partner? No. definitely not. Accomplice? No. Tag along? Maybe. It’s better at least.

“Hey DD,” the one in question greets, and really, does he ever sleep? Some days he’s out earlier than Matt and, before Matt started to tell him to get some rest, you’re no use to me half dead, he was staying out later as well. Probably works too, or goes to school, Matt muses, so when does he even sleep? Probably doesn’t. Just lives off of caffeine or something.

“You missed it, Wade and I busted a giant organized ring last night. Well, more Wade but I helped web them up,” he starts and Matt dreads the day that this kid figures out just how powerful he is, if he doesn’t already. Matt has gone against him a few times, seriously and not, and the kid is most likely stronger than him. Not to mention his webs and healing. Matt thinks he prefers this, for now. “He did a lot of killing. You should have been there, totally your type of thing,”

Sounds like it.

“Was busy, but sounds great kid,”

\---

Turns out the flower shop delivers. This was found out by both him and Foggy when the flower kid showed up at their office door one day, holding a giant bundle of flowers.

“Hi, I have flowers for Mr. Nelson and Mr. Murdock,” said the voice from the door when it swung open.

“Oh, come in,” Foggy offers, helping the kid put them down and asking him how he was even able to carry them.

“I’m stronger than I look,” the voice says.

Foggy is just signing the sheet when Matt sighs and decides to go see.

“Oh, Matt, look, the family from the last case sent us a thank you,”

Ah, yeah, that would explain it.

“Oh, hey, hi again,” the kid exclaims when he sees Matt.

“This is flower kid?” Foggy asks and Matt almost sighs, physically feeling the kid’s confusion.

“Nice to see you again, Peter,” Matt says instead because he really does not wanna explain.

Foggy beats him to it anyways. “Matt here tried to explain the flowers that you gave him,” he says. “But forgot most of them,”

“Hey, I remembered the important one,” Matt defends because it seems like he’s going to be in this conversation whether he likes it or not. He knows how to count his losses.

Foggy just smiles and pats him on the arm.

“These have meanings kid?” he asks the flower kid before he can try and come to any more conclusions about anything.

They do indeed have meanings. One short botanical lesson later, “and these pink ones mean like thankfulness and appreciation,” the kid is leaving.

“Karen might like them?”

Yeah. Probably.

\---

Spider-Man is late often. Not that they have a set time. Well, Matt doesn’t think they have a set time because that would make it official and they are not teammates, no matter what Deadpool says. Or partners. Or any fucking thing like that. They run with each other occasionally. When Matt can’t avoid it.

But still, Spider-Man is late.

At least the kid doesn’t seem to be interested in his private life or anything, Matt thinks to himself, ears perking up at a siren but ignoring it as he hears it plays out. If Wade asks him where he works one more time Matt might just have to kill him. Not that it would actually do anything, but it would make him feel better at least. He half suspects the man already knows and just likes to antagonize him.

“Sorry DD,” and where did that name come from? Matt suspects the media and Wade equally. “Got caught up,” he explains and Matt just nods because, yeah maybe he is a little curious but Spiderman doesn’t ask him who he is and so he won’t either.

\---

Matt wants to get more flowers. Foggy says it’s because he’s sweet to which Matt grumbles.

“What’s up, Peter,” he says, walking back over to the counter, stick by his side.

Peter is a nice kid, he thinks. Sort of like a puppy in a way. Very excitable.

“Not much, Mr. Murdock,” the kid answers and there is a certain smell that seems familiar to Matt before it gets overrun again by the flowers.

“I want to get some more flowers,” Matt says with a smile, shaking the thought away.

He answers Peter’s questions dutifully and the kid helps him decide on a nice bunch.

The meanings are nice, Matt thinks, as he leaves the shop, flowers in one hand. According to Peter, the colors work well too, which is a plus.

\---

Spider-Man is late again.

Actually late this time, not just a few minutes.

Matt isn’t waiting for him though. Well, it looks like he is, he supposes, but really it’s just because he doesn’t hear anything to drag him away from the rooftop at this moment. Not because he’s waiting for the kid.

Spider-Man swings down sometime along the night, smelling very different from usual and Matt tilts his head slightly, trying to place it.

Maybe it makes him look a little more brooding than usual because the spider asks him if he’s good. Matt just continues thinking and hears the other shuffle a bit, heartbeat speeding slightly. He resigns himself to think about it later and simply nods.

\---

Matt wonders if he is actually incapable of quitting, like Foggy always tells him.

“It’s what you do Matty, I don’t think you could,”

Hm. Matt thinks he could if he really had the motivation to maybe.

This might be pretty good motivation, he muses, groaning as he turns over in his bed, hand clutching his ribs.

Maybe I should retire, he thinks to himself. That wouldn’t be that bad, would it? Could more to, I dunno, Cali or something. Cali is nice right? Foggy would probably like it there. Maybe it has less crime, he thinks with a snort.

Or maybe he is just resigned to a life of pain, he muses, glaring at nothing. Maybe the world.

He’s pulled from his thoughts when someone knocks at his door.

Who the fuck.

If it’s Wade, Matt mutters as he sits up, he is dead. Matt isn’t exactly sure when the merc found out where he lives but he nearly killed him when he showed up one day.

“Wade I will eviscerate you,” he murmurs as he stumbles to the door. Someone is there, that much Matt is certain of, heartbeats are loud as fuck, especially when you have a headache, but his head isn’t exactly clear now and they’re not talking.

They seem to realize this is a problem because they clear their throat.

“Hi, it’s Peter, from the flower shop? I have flowers for you,” he explains and Matt’s first thought is that he sounds like Spider-Man. He considers telling him as much before he deems it not a good idea because how would he, a blind lawyer, know what Spider-Man sounds like?

He instead nods and reaches for the floral-scented mass.

“They’re from Mr. Nelson,” Peter tells him and Matt nods with a small smile. Foggy probably knows he’s sulking.

Peter has him sign before nodding and leaving, shutting the door on his way out with an accompanying “Have a good day, Mr. Murdock,”

Matt wonders if he owns a vase.

\---

He does indeed find a vase and, in his opinion, does a good job of finding some sun for the flowers.

An hour later he suits up.

If Foggy were there he would tell him to take the night off. But Foggy isn’t here and crime waits for no man. So. Patrol it is.

Spider-Man is already there when Matt gets to the rooftop. He often stays on top of his own building, at least early on in the night.

“How’s it going tonight?” he asks.

“Not bad, little slow,” Spider-Man answers, turning to him from where he is on the ledge. “You sure you’re good to be out tonight?” he asks through what sounds like a frown and Matt is pretty sure he’s eyeing his limp he’s doing his best to hide.

“Be fine,” Matt grunts out and he can hear Peter shrugs as he comes to sit by him, listening for any hints of trouble.

“Was just here,” he murmurs, breaking the silence that had enveloped them. Matt isn’t sure if he was supposed to hear but answers anyways.

“Here?”

“This building,”

Huh.

\---

Matt isn’t dumb. He graduated summa cum laude thank you very much. He is a lawyer. He is Daredevil. So he would like to think he is pretty smart.

And, from what he can tell, Peter from the flower shop and Spider-Man are the same person.

Which doesn’t make any sense. But then again, when do his senses fail him? Foggy would say all the time but that’s beside the point. So yeah.

They sound alike, for one, if not a little clearer when not in the mask. And Spider-Man smelled floral the other day. The shop smelled like the suit the day before. Then there was the whole thing with Spider-Man having been in the same building Peter had been in on the same day.

It’s a little weird, Matt has to admit, and he does doubt himself somewhat. For one, Peter is sweet and bubbly. Spider-Man? Spider-Man is that as well. But also not. Matt has seen him pick up men twice his size before. Matt has seen him bring people to the brink of death with little to no remorse. Matt has seen him use all he has got in order to take down criminals.

And yet, he is almost certain they are the same person.

But they also have an agreement, Matt thinks to himself. And he won’t be the one to break it.

\---

Spider-Man, (Peter?), is lying to him. About flowers of all things, though he guesses that it is appropriate if he really is Peter.

“Here,”

“What,” Matt says because those smell like flowers and where did you get them and what.

“I don’t know man,” truth, “someone was looking for Daredevil and wanted to give him flowers,” truth, “thank you or something,” truth, “I said I’d get them to you,” half-truth? Matt isn’t sure but he takes the flowers and sniffs them anyways.

“There’s a card too,”

Course there is. He takes it and opens it. Mmhm, very card-like.

“Who did you say gave you these?” Matt tries.

“I don’t know, some random dude who came by the shop,” Spider-Man answers as he flops down on the ledge with a sigh.

The shop?

Well. Now, in Matt’s defense, he wouldn’t be the first to reveal it.

“Peter?”

“Yes?” the poor boy answers with another sigh. Matt should get him to go home earlier.

Matt knew it.

“Wait, fuck, no,”

Oh yes. Matt nods because he very much does like validation.

“What,”

Oh you poor sweet child. Foggy will love this. Matt just nods at him again.

“Uhhhhh,”

Matt decides he should probably take pity on the, what? Sixteen year old? And takes his mask off after listening for any heartbeats nearby.

“Mr. Murdock?”

“Matt,” Matt offers, because really, kid, drop the Mister already.

\---

Peter got over it fairly quickly, Matt will give him that.

Matt still gets flowers every now and then, partially to mess with the kid, between Daredevil and his day job he really does need a laugh every now and then, and because Foggy likes them too.

Peter seems more than happy to explain more about the flowers though, plus Matt thinks he likes talking to someone when the shop is slow, so it’s a good system.

“Does Mr. Nelson know?” Peter asked one day, when Matt came in yet again.

“Foggy? Yeah, he knows,”

Ah, okay.

Yep.

Matt thinks not many people know about Peter’s night job as Spider-Man.

Matt starts perching on the shop more. It’s good, he thinks. Let’s him get more areas and the kitchen has been quiet recently anyways. Besides, this way Peter can’t be late.

**Author's Note:**

> For the notes of the flowers and their meanings, check out gloxinias and retail. Might put them in a series together.
> 
> wanted to also do a fic that has matt recognize how peter is like, kinda a top tier hero. it bothers me sometimes when they treat him like a kid and yeah i know he is young and i write him like that too sometimes, so i don't think it's bad, but he's also one of the more powerful ones so i like to see him like that too sometimes.
> 
> anyways hope you enjoyed :) been thinking about doing a more comic fic, maybe after civil war? because peter and matt were kinda on opposite sides for like, half. that or a comic-civil war but with movie peter and show matt. or one where peter wants to get a piercing but regenerative healing and would that work?
> 
> any thoughts, comments, ideas, and fic or just general suggestions are welcome :)


End file.
